Traffic plan fails to work

Update:
February, 02/2012 - 10:25

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Parents and children gather at Thai Thinh School in Dong Da District yesterday morning before school. The Government's decision to adjust working hours to reduce traffic congestion in Ha Noi has upset local people's daily routines and created unexpected traffic jams around schools. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tuan

HA NOI — In addition to disrupting local people's routines, the Ministry of Transport's change in work hours did not visibly improve traffic flow on many Ha Noi streets after its first day of implementation.

Nguyen Thanh Thuy, who lives in Dong Da District's Phuong Mai Street, got stuck for more than 20 minutes on the way to take her child to Phuong Mai Secondary School, which was only 200 metres away from her house.

"It is 7.30am and it is especially crowded today!" Thuy moaned, "many parents let their children walk to school as they couldn't wait that long to go to work."

She was late for work.

Nguyen Thu Minh faced the same situation when she took her seven-year-old daughter to Be Van Dan Elementary School on Ho Dac Di Street.

"Traffic jams always occur on this street, especially before and after school. I thought it would be better, but it was still crowded at 8am," she said.

"I will try to take her to school 30 minutes earlier tomorrow."

Minh said she used to take her two children, a second grader and a twelfth grader, to school because it was on the same route. Now her husband has to take the older one because of their different start times.

"This is a little bit inconvenient, as my husband has nothing to do for the one hour before his working time," she said.

On Nguyen Trai, Tay Son, Thai Thinh streets, traffic congestion also occurred between 7.30am and 8am when parents tried to take their children to school.

However, along main routes known as "black spots" such as Khuat Duy Tien, Truong Chinh, Chua Boc in Dong Da District and Xuan Thuy in Cau Giay District, the situation has reportedly improved.

Ngo Van Tam, a traffic police officer on Xuan Thuy Street, said the street, with its many universities and colleges, was much better because of the adjustment of working hours and the long holiday for students.

He said parents might not be familiar with the new schedule and this caused some traffic jams, but it might improve in the next several days.

Nguyen Xuan Tan from the municipal Department of Transport said the department also adjusted the operation time for buses during peak hours and added six more bus routes through colleges to meet the demands of local people, especially students.

Traffic police were mobilised to work from 6am to help traffic flow. The department would add more bus routes if needed, he said.

The Ministry of Transport's initiative took effect yesterday. Any changes in the initiative would be implemented after two weeks of trial. — VNS